Yogyakarta is the only province in Indonesia still ruled by its pre-colonial monarchy, the Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Sultanate. The governor of the province is currently the charismatic Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, the 10th generation of the monarchy. Yogyakarta is also considered as the centre of the Javanese culture.

The capital of this unique province is Yogyakarta City. It is interesting to note that almost 20% of the residents are students. With 137 post-secondary academic institutions, no wonder Yogyakarta is nicknamed by Indonesians as the City of Students. During the Indonesian War of Independence from 1945 to 1949, the city served as the provisional capital of the new republic.

Major tourist attractions in Yogyakarta:

• Borobudur temple, enormous 9th century Buddhist monument in Magelang, Central Java
• Prambanan temple complex, 9th century Hindu temple compound 20 km from Yogyakarta City
• Malioboro Street, the illustrious street market
• Kraton Yogyakarta, the Sultanate’s main palace
• Cerme Cave Walisongo

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